Every parent wants happy, healthy kids. When it comes to our kid’s health, we want to do whatever we can. This year’s Children’s Mental Health Week is taking place from 1-13 February 2022. This year’s theme is Growing Together.
Signs of good mental health in children:
- feel happy and positive about themselves most of the time
- are kind to themselves during tough times or when things don’t go the way they expect
- enjoy life
- learn well
- get along well with family and friends
- can manage sad, worrying or angry feelings
- can bounce back from tough times
- are prepared to try new or challenging things.
Parenting tips to boost your child’s mental wellbeing!
- Spend time together: Making time for your child will make them feel that they are important to you. Have fun while doing activities together like watching a movie or playing games that they enjoy.
- Be attentive to what they say: Give your child your full attention and listen to them. Ask them about their friends, teachers, and the activities they do in school to find out how they are coping. Offer them advice or help where appropriate.
- Be generous with praise: Children are often reprimanded for bad behavior but rarely praised for good behavior. As a result, they may come to believe that they can never be good enough. Praise your child whenever they have done a good deed no matter how small. This helps them feel good about themselves.
- Discipline without labeling: Correct your child’s wrong behavior by explaining why their action was inappropriate. Telling them that you love them but do not agree with their behavior can make them more mindful of their actions.
- Lay realistic expectations: Avoid comparisons and do not make them feel like a failure when they do not do well. This will lower their morale and self-worth which may make them less eager to learn and less motivated to try their best. Instead, praise them for their efforts and discuss how to improve their performance step by step.
- Teach your child to think positively: It is important to teach your child to be positive and remain optimistic when faced with difficulties. This in turn helps to boost their self-esteem and self-confidence as well as help them recover from setbacks and failures, and continue to be motivated to work hard.
- Help your child explore their strengths: Encourage them to try different activities and hobbies. Explain to them that different people have different strengths and are good at different things, and they should be proud of what they are good at. Knowing their strengths is important for your child’s mental well-being.
- Teach your child to be independent: Another parenting tip – entrust your child with manageable tasks to complete by themselves. Praise them when they finish their tasks so they feel good about completing them. If they face troubles, acknowledge and support their efforts and tell them what they can do differently next time.
- Encourage your child to build meaningful friendships: Encourage your child to make new friends at school, in the playground, or during activities, they do after school. Show that you care for their friends by inviting classmates to your house to get to know them better.
- Encourage physical activity: Physical health and good mental health are strongly correlated. Encourage your child to get enough rest, drink enough water, eat right, exercise regularly, and get some sunlight. These are all great ways to boost their energy, mood, and mental health.
- Reduce stress together: Spend time with your child by engaging in relaxing and meaningful activities like exercising in a garden or a park. Share a hobby like learning a musical instrument, writing, reading, listening to music, cooking, or whatever interests them. You will also be improving your mental health!
- Teach your child to relax: Encourage your child to do something enjoyable to take their mind off their problems. It may be playing outdoors with friends or listening to music.
- Be a positive role model: Children and youths learn by watching their parents – even when they are older teens. If your child sees you using appropriate coping skills when you are under stress, they will learn from you. Show them that stress is normal and can be handled in a calm and effective manner, e.g. going for a jog.
- Positive self-talk: Your child can be taught to talk to themselves positively. It can change the way they view the situation and help manage their feelings and behaviour. For example, “Relax! I don’t need to get angry about it”, “I am not going to let him bug me” and “I am ok”.
Use the parenting tips above to boost your child’s mental well-being! Remember that a healthy and happy child or teenager is able to concentrate well in school and face challenges better in life.
source: https://www.healthhub.sg/